MERRY GUNPLA CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

MERRY GUNPLA CHRISTMAS TO ALL! 

Pardon the caps as this is the happiest day of my 19 years as a professional artist.

I' am truly BACK this time. I had a couple of attempts to come back to Gunpla ( 2011 and 2015 I think ), but back then... my passion for plastic robots was fueled by Bandai sponsored competitions ( BAKUC / GBWC ) and I was not allowed to join the Open category from 2010 to 2012. Also as a father of 3 growing kids, I focused on my financials the past ( almost 3 ) years.


Blue Brick Art Gallery at Facebook

I was a full time illustrator ( I draw ) working at home for almost 3 years now. I think I illustrated around 56 books and a gazillion of fan art for people abroad ( I rarely do art for local clients ). And it was super fun!

Working at home made us convert the house into an ART studio ( facebook link ). We actually held art classes back in October already ( I actually miss our young art students ), and will resume this January ( 2020 ).

I also met awesome really talented and established illustrators ( and writer ) in the local comics industry a few months back, when I talked at MOA regarding fan art and illustrating for children's books abroad.

I met Paul Medina, Harvey Tolibao, Randy Valiente and Ian Velazquez thru our talk organized by Pop Hub! Awesome experience! I was not worthy to be lined up with those awesome people.


DC23 clothing at Facebook

We also released some DC23 clothing designs a couple of months back. Our shirt printer was awesome as he was able to repro my very detailed art into shirts. It's just that... due to the Christmas season, we were unable to meet some of our client demands... requests.

Requests like smaller... and bigger sizes and shirt colors ( red  and white ).

Moving forward, we are now working with another clothing company to better serve our clients ( but might still work with our old talented printer ). We might be exporting to Australia, Poland and potentially Singapore soon. Albeit we have shipped a few shirts to the US already.

I am designing ( drawing ) more Gunpla / Mecha Designs for our DC23 clothing for next year. DC23 clothing will also be sponsoring a big Mecha competition at Youtube soon.

So stay tuned guys!


Back to Gunpla

As I've said... I'm back. Albeit more as Don Suratos ( my real name ), than as DC23 ( my forums )

To be honest, I am not used to being active in Facebook pages. All of the admins are super cool and all. But I am not comfortable sharing my work to so many groups. I know I am flooding their Facebook groups too much ( My apologies ).

I am dubbed as an "Energizer Bunny" back in 2009 by my awesome friends from Zero G ( ZeroGunz ) forums. I was a hyper active member of that Malaysian based forums. Other than learning my Gunpla in 2008 from the super talented Michael Fichtenmayer ( Fichtenfoo ) and Kenny Lim ( ToyMaker ). I learned a million stuff at Zero G Malaysia ( won't mention names, as I might forget a few ).

Needless to say I learned only from the best.

These days, I am being inspired by other fellow Acrylicos Vallejo artists like Angel Giraldez, Tony Buendia and Chema Cabrero.

The pressure of leveling up my work, as these Vallejo artists are insanely good at what they do. Angel  Giraldez is a monster in the miniature world. Tony Buendia is a master in building scale model planes. My good friend Chema is the guru when it comes to tanks and armor.

And me... Hi I'm Don. LOL


My New Youtube Channel

This month ( December 2019 ) was me trying to get used to a process where I should video record and take photos of my work as I build Gunpla.

You build a little slower this way, as you have to pause and be very mindful of the camera while building Gunpla. I think I am a bit used to it now. It is actually fun.

I actually tried to cheat at Youtube.

I asked for a sort of shout out from a Youtuber ( Gunpla snap fitter and collector ) who asked my Gunpla Interview back in 2017 ( which I failed to reply to, as I was busy building up my Illustration portfolio ). The dude as I expected returned the favor. He ignored my messages at facebook. It's all good tho. Cheating is not good and I guess, Youtube does not work that way. Also, I guess he was building his channel back then... and he no longer does interviews these days. :)

Altho I have the support of my partners, I am now trying to fill my new Youtube channel with quality "modeling" content.

I literally effortlessly channeled my "Energizer Bunny" mode back in 2008 and been churning out quick videos this month.

I will still draw ( Gunpla break so not to burn out ). Mostly drawings for our DC23 clothing and some fan art commissions. But I am focused like an art knife in Gunpla in 2020.

I was just an employee ( at a network ) back in 2008 to 2016. So I just do Gunpla when I get home and during weekends ( like everyone else ). But moving forward, I will now be working full time as a professional Gunpla modeler.

At home... at my own Studio.

I cannot imagine how much Gunpla work I can put out this coming year.

Thus, I need to share a bit less in Facebook groups. Will just share major posts and updates. I tend to post updates a lot, as this is my way of resting from actual Gunpla or miniature work. I promise to NOT flood other Fb groups next year anymore. :)


GBWC 2020

My 16 year old daughter ( @verashley05 at IG ) will be joining GBWC 2020.

So that's that. So I am torn. I envy those people that are determined to join. But should I compete with my 16 year old daughter? Also I will be super busy building and painting for my youtube channel. I doubt I will have the time to modify a single kit til I drop late nights.

Besides, I have a sweet duel / build off with my good friend and master ( in the hobby ) in Kenny Lim aka Toymaker!

That TOYMAKER versus DC23 build off ( link to Youtube ) should be FUN!



FORUMS are DEAD, BLOG is still ALIVE

I am sad as I am a hardcore Gunpla forum guy ( Zero G Malaysia and Fichtenfoo Forums ) back in the day. Thus the code name DC23.

11 years ago, during my most active Gunpla years. It was all forums. There are local ( Philippines ) forums, and a ton of good international forums. I was most active at Zero G, as a friend I met at HK World BAKUC Championship, in Reiloke ( 2008 Malaysia Champion ) invited me there.

Awesome experience!

We also eventually had our own MAC FORUMS, where I met more awesome people here and abroad.

Anyways, needless to say... I am not used to this Facebook group thing. I feel I cannot share too much updates unlike in the forums. So my apologies again for flooding other people's groups. I will try to post the more significant update only moving forward. I was just used to posting everything at Zero G and MAC forums back in those days.

Well at least, a few people still like to read. So I still blog. I am my most talkative here. I like sharing my stuff and even my thoughts here. This blog is getting good traffic again.

I am being penalized by Photobucket for my current blog traffic tho. I do not want to pay for something that should be free. Arrrgh.

Anyways, thanks for people who still like to read blogs. This small blog is alive again.


MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

I get a ton of inquiries and messages on Gunpla and how to paint with Vallejos the past couple of weeks. I am actually happy that some people will be shifting to Vallejos ( they said ).

Vallejos are awesome ( I am bias ), and you have a plethora of resources and tutorials all over the net. I am focus on the Vallejo Mecha Color line tho. The other Vallejo paints are used ( and mastered ) by other Vallejo Artists.

Feel free to message me at IG, Twitter, Facebook or even Youtube regarding anything Gunpla and Vallejo Mecha Color paints. I will answer all of them during my Gunpla coffee breaks. Mabait ako... I am most fluent conversationally in Flipino ( Mahirap lang sya kasi i-type ). So message me for inquiries anytime.

Again I am happy to answer them, Also I am NOT charging a dime. LIBRE po. lol


LASTLY

I made a mistake for leaving the Paint Chipping medium to dry for 30 minutes. As I suspected, thus I sprayed a thick amount of chipping medium ( which was cracking during the painting of the white and pink colors, as it was too thick ).

The Grey, White and Pink Vallejo Mecha Colors are too strong and hard!

Again, I left the chipping medium to dry for 30 minutes ( as usual ) and it was super difficult to chip off the paints. I had to take a coffee break ( thus my photo on top ), as I was getting irritated. The paint chipping was supposedly easy ( it is easier with Vallejo Model Color ).

But the extra resistant properties of the Mecha Color line, was a DISADVANTAGE for the paint chipping technique.

Next time, I WON'T let the Paint Chipping Medium dry too long ( maybe just 5 to 10 minutes ) then will chip away the Mecha Color immediately.

I will share this shorter Paint Chipping Medium drying time experiment soon.

Hope this helps fellow Vallejo Mecha Color painters out there.

So that's it! This was a long post. Now off to spending time with the fam.

again...

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Saludos!

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Paint Chipping verDC23 Prep & Undercoat

First off, my apologies as I cannot post detailed progress pics here at my blog, as my photos are reserved for something... hmmm... better.

Anyways, I am in the middle of working with my MG Gunner Zaku Warrior when I suddenly wanted to do some heavy weathering. I see a few well done over weathered builds at Facebook. I like them very much.

But photos might be intimidating for new modelers. So I felt I had to create a video to show that weathering is super easy ( and fun ).

I find heavy weathering, without physical damages to the kit a bit off tho. So I thought the first part of my video should teach people what to do in preparing kits for heavy weathering later.

Listed below are my STEPS seen videos at my new Youtube channel, which shows how I prepped the pieces before painting.



PAINT CHIPPING verDC23 PART 1 

• STEP 1 - clean all the nub marks and seam lines. A nice well cleaned ( well done ) kit should look more Pro level work, even if you plan to over weather them. 
• STEP 2 - Scribe the existing panel lines. I scribed with a .5 scriber as this is a Mega Scale and is a big kit. 
• STEP 3 - I made the panel lines deeper with a needle point scriber. This should be great during the washes stage. 
• STEP 4 - Bevel the panel lines with a V shape chisel. Bevels will always make detail look like they are part of the original design. Very sharp un-beveled panel lines and detail look like paper craft. 
• STEP 5 - Melt the plastic with soldering iron. Be careful. Also be mindful of the direction and position of the damages. 
• STEP 6 - Chip away small edges of the armor with an art knife. This will compliment the heavy weathering later.
• STEP 7 - Chip away small holes and damages with a V shape chisel.
• STEP 8 - Sand and clean up excess plastic and sharp edges ( edges of damaged parts ).

PAINT CHIPPING verDC23 PART 2 

• Paint Vallejo Mecha Black Primer
• Paint with Vallejo Brown and Sand Primer ( mix ) for pre shading
• Splatter Panzer Color Light Rust
• Seal with Mecha Color Gloss Varnish
• Let cure overnight

That's it! I hope you still find this informative, even if I can't share detailed photos ( here ). Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next update guys!

Saludos!

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MG Gunner Zaku Warrior REVIEW version DC23

Video Review at Youtube

My apologies as I do not have many photos of this review, as I was focused on recording the video for my new Youtube channel.

I love the design of this kit. Even the old 1/100 HG is beautiful. But this one is an awesome MG. I love the overall look and design of this Zaku. Tall and not as bulky as usual. L

Let's do this in bullets!

PROS

• The joints are great! Specially the joints or arms that hold the big gun to the backpack. The joints that hold the shield are also very nice and solid! Sturdy design! Gone are the flimsy designs of the older MGs ( at least for this kit. 
• Color separation of the parts are perfect ( as expected from a MG ). The construction of each part were not complicated and are all very straight forward.
• The articulation is one of the best ( specially for a Zaku ). The arms and legs fold all the way. The hand wrist joints are very good also. Waist could be more flexible, but it is sturdy enough to hold the huge backpack and gun.  
• Most parts can be easily disassembled for painting after snap fit ( just cut the male pegs ). 
• A beautiful kit, best displayed in flight ( due to the big gun ). 
• The typical Zaku cabling is easier to clean as it did not came in separate pipes. 
• Armor details are good. But there is so much room for more. 

CONS

• Nubs are located along the bevels of the pieces ( armor parts ). Tricky to sand for beginners. 
• Seam lines along the guns and backpack ( expected ).
• Seam lines along the upper arm, upper legs and lower leg parts. 
• There is a small red part ( I missed mentioning this on my video ) in the big gun that cannot be removed again ( after seam line removal ). Masking or hand painting will be required. 

CONCLUSION

I love the kit so much. There is a sudden pang of sadness while looking at the kit, as this is not mine. This is a commissioned work. So will be giving to the client once finish. 

Anyways, that's it! 

Do check out the 12 minute video review at Youtube. As I've said there, I am not sure if I could do these kinds of videos, as I am really focused on painting, mods and dios. 

Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next update guys! 

Saludos! 

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WHY Dilute Vallejo Colors with Distilled Water EXPLAINED

Your hand painting with Vallejo Mecha Colors will be better if you use my custom MUG. lol, just kidding.

Other than wanting an excuse to take photos of my mug, and waking up early as I am an old man...


Let's talk shop!

Let's talk WHY Dilute Vallejo Mecha Colors with Distilled Water?


VALLEJO PAINTS

Vallejo paints ( from Model Color, Game Color to Mecha Colors ) vary in consistency. this is normal for acrylics. Vallejo is a high pigment count acrylic with the finest pigments in the market ( I do not have a microscope to test this tho ).

But as a painter ( once in a while ), painting ( on canvas ) with any PRO grade acrylics ( hobby grade or studio grade ) have varying degrees of consistency. The Reds and Yellows are thinner than the very creamy Browns and Greys. The Cream colors ( even in the airbrush paint ranges ) are super creamy.

In time you will learn how to thin acrylics ( in general ) to get master class or descent ( at least ) work.



DISTILLED WATER

I use only distilled water. Vallejo claims that their fine hobby grade pigments ( not industrial grade like cheaper brands ) can be stained by minerals from tap water. Tap water will pollute the paints. So I use only the purest form of water... distilled water.

Other high quality established acrylic paint brands ( I won't name them ) also advises thinning with distilled water.

IMHO, I do not see the difference of thinning with distilled water. Perhaps ( most likely ) my painting is not good enough to see the difference.

However, there is no harm in following Vallejo's instructions in using distilled water exclusively in rinsing and keeping your paint brushes wet. I keep small bottles of distilled water under my bench all the time. Distilled water are so cheap anyways.



DO NOT FOLLOW ( rebel me ) Vallejo's instructions of hand painting, much more airbrushing certain ( all ) Vallejo paints straight from the dropper bottle.

DO NOT FOLLOW ( I am so rebellious... I know ) thinning with distilled water as mediums and Vallejo Airbrush Thinners ( and Flow Improver ) are better, as they won't weaken the adherence and finish of the paints.

Note: I will always say this. Proper thinning for hand painting and airbrushing Vallejo Mecha Colors is key for a strong finish. Vallejo Mecha Colors were formulated to be extra strong and scratch resistant but know how to properly use them to get excellent results.



THINNING VALLEJO MECHA COLOR FOR HAND PAINTING

I thin my Mecha Color for hand painting with Vallejo Airbrush Thinner and Vallejo Mediums. At a rough ( this vary per color ) ratio of 4 parts paint, 2 parts Medium and 1 part Aibrush Thinner.

I keep my paint brush wet only with distilled water, and also only clean my paint brush with distilled water. I rarely use my wet palette and use a small plastic paint dish oftentimes. So I regularly wet my paint brush with distilled water during hand painting.

Also, I always rinse my paint brush while painting as these paints dry fast. ( I also use Retarder Mediums to slow down drying time during hand painting ).

I sometimes use my DIY open wet palette ( yes not closable ) when hand painting in thin amounts. This is filled only with distilled water up to the sponge level.

How I thin my Vallejo Mecha Color is better seen in my video below...

THINNING VALLEJO MECHA COLOR FOR AIRBRUSHING

I use Vallejo Mecha Thinner and Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver in thinning my Vallejo Mecha Colors for Airbrush. Same as in hand painting, reds and yellow thin differently than the creamier greys and browns.

A rough ratio of 4 parts paint and 1 part thinner and 1 part flow improver for most paints.

I clean my airbrush ( like my paint brush ) regularly during painting.

I clean my airbrush with a diluted ( with tap water ) Vallejo Airbrush Thinner ( 50:50 )

How I thin my Vallejo Mecha Colors is better seen in these videos below...

CONCLUSION

I hope this early morning Vallejo Mecha Blog entry helps. 

The real key to achieving great quality Vallejo Mecha Color finishes is by using my DC23 logo mug during painting. Hahaha. 

Like I always say, invest in high quality tools and paints ( slowly ) as they are investments if you love the hobby ( and if you love your kits - ;b ). 

Good paints and tools will last for years and will give you years of fun. 

That's it. I hope you'll find this entry informative. Thanks as always for dropping by, until next update guys! 

Saludos! 

This blog article is part of my Vallejo Colors EXPLAINED series of posts.

• Vallejo Paints EXPLAINED
• Vallejo Mecha Color EXPLAINED
• Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver EXPLAINED
• Vallejo Mediums EXPLAINED

Read more >>

WHY I Love Vallejo Colors and Where I Get Them

Quick Neutral Grounds Video Tour

I've been using Vallejos ( mostly Vallejo Premium, Vallejo Game Colors and Vallejo Game Airs ) for years now. I started using them on my LOTR action figures ( Vallejo Model Color back in 2001 ). Frodo looks better dirty with washes and grime than the bare plastic after all.

I love Vallejos coz they are the best in hand painting. The paints adhere well to primed or varnished ( Vallejo varnish ) surfaces. And they self level. Vallejo Colors will never reactivate the previous layers ( like other paints do ), so building up of thin coats is super easy. Also the high pigment and finer ( microscopic ) pigments makes better coverage than others.

They are also great with airbrushing as they are non-toxic.

Also the paints are reasonably priced. The high pigment count and the shelf life ( I have Vallejos that are more than 10 years old ) makes the paints worth it! These paints ( like other well established paints ) are investments in themselves.

Lastly, Vallejos are now very accessible to everyone. you may now purchase Vallejo Model Color, Vallejo Model Air, Vallejo Game Color, Vallejo Game Air and Vallejo Mecha Colors ( The whole shebang ) at all Neutral Grounds everywhere!

I get my stock at Neutral Grounds Centris.

So happy that Neutral Grounds started importing these awesome paints!

Anyways, thanks as always for dropping by! Until next post guys! Just enjoy the hobby!



Notable blog articles to guide you with Vallejo Colors.

• Vallejo Paints EXPLAINED
• Vallejo Mecha Color EXPLAINED
• Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver EXPLAINED
• Vallejo Mediums EXPLAINED

Saludos!

Read more >>

Weathering Without Painting a Rubber Zaku Figure

Just finished this quick weathering project. This project was basically a test, a sort of experiment that you can paint the Vallejo Mecha Colors on kits and figures ( any model surface ), even without priming. And that the paints when dry, will even look like the material of the kit / figure. 

Vallejo also claims that the Mecha Color range were formulated to withstand regular handling and wear and tear of articulated kits like Kotobukiya, Gunpla, StarWars, Transformers and the like.

So I tested the paints! 

I weathered this rubber ( rubber plastic of some sort ) Zaku figure without priming and painting the base colors. I used a ton of Vallejo Mecha Color Paints, but you could reduce the painting to around 8 to 10 colors. I really have to practice painting with sets of 6 to 8 colors ( limited palette ), so that I could share it with other modelers easier. 

MECHA COLORS

• Mecha Color Light Green
• Mecha Color Green
• Mecha Color Dark Green
• Mecha Color Pure Black
• Mecha Color Grey Sand
• Mecha Color Chipping Brown

WEATHERING WASHES & INKS

• Mecha Weathering Black Wash
• Mecha Weathering Eng Soot Wash
• Mecha Weathering Dark Rust Wash
• Mecha Weathering Light Rust Wash
• Mecha Weathering Oil Earth Wash
• Game Ink Yellow
• Game Ink Green

MECHA COLOR METALLICS

• Mecha Color Light Steel
• Mecha Color Dark Steel
• Mecha Color Copper

MECHA FLOURESCENT 

• Magenta Flourescent 

AUXILLIARY 

• Mecha Color Gloss Varnish
• Mecha Color Matt Varnish
• Retarder Medium
• Airbrush Thinner
• Flow Improver
• Distilled Water

MY VALLEJO COLORS WEATHERING PROCESS ( in summary )

1. Hand paint Matt Varnish ( 3 thin coats )
2. Paint lighter colors with Mecha Color Light Green and Green 
3. Dry brush Light Green
4. Paint shadows with Dark Green
5. Paint the chipping with Mecha Color Chipping Brown
6. Hand paint Gloss Varnish ( 3 thin coats )
7. Apply Mecha Weathering Washes in varying ratios
8. Filtering with Game Ink Yellow & Green
9. Hand paint Matt Varnish ( 3 thin coats )
10. Paint Pure Black on details, then Metallics
11. Paint Flo color ( mono eye )
12. Paint rain streaks and armor stains with washes

Asmuch as I want to talk you through in detail. I think it is easier to just watch my Youtube video below. Saludos! 

CONCLUSION

The Mecha Color Varnishes are CRAZY GOOD!

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My Partners

I had a handful of inquiries the past week regarding paints, what I use, airbrush set up and where I get my tools and supplies. I am always happy to answer them.

I had a very brief time of painting with some Japanese brand paints ( I like branded paints as I like using only quality paints and tools ). I also have a few other Japanese and USA airbrushes way back ( again, I like quality tools only ) and a precious ( gift ) generic airbrush from my dear friend Kriz.

But I am now exclusively using Vallejos, Harder&Steenbeck and certain tools moving forward.

I am only painting with Vallejo Colors ( Spain ) and airbrushing with Harder&Steenbeck airbrushes from Germany ( once again, I only like quality paints and tools ).

I also get my paints locally ( and a few tools and supplies ) from Neutral Grounds. I also get my tools and supplies from HobbyMate Singapore ( the best hobby shop at Sing ).

Just wanted to make this clear.

Cheers!



DAILY BLOG POST

I am also thinking of posting "daily" blog posts like this, as I am a full time Professional Illustrator and Professional Sci Fi Modeler ( moving forward ). Most artists ( at least here in the Philippines ) are employees. Scale modeling, much more Gunpla ( Mecha / Sci Fi ) modeling is just a weekend hobby for the majority.

But, I literally draw and paint robots and monsters for a living.

Daily posts that I won't really share in other facebook groups or anything. Just some daily logs, a sort of a diary of a full time professional artist working at his home studio. How I start my day or something. I like blogging when I am about to sleep anyways.

Also, these kinds of posts could be inspiring for aspiring or even frustrated artists.

So let's talk shop!



WORK

Woke up, ate breakfast and drank coffee.

Drove my kids to school...went home and then I started work.

I did a bit of snap fitting of my commissioned MG Gunner Zaku Warrior.

Had an email meeting with one of my Gunpla partners for a few minutes, then...

I thought of suddenly recording a quick Vallejo Mecha Color weathering tutorial for my Youtube channel during the middle of my snap fitting. So I pulled out a figure to paint and started painting, errr... started weathering.



END OF WORK

I got hungry during the middle of weathering the figure. Thought of fetching the kids and get some groceries. Fetched the kids, went to the grocery and stayed there for a couple of hours. Drove back home and ... Voila!

The traffic here in the Philippines is one of the worst in the world. Specially during the Christmas season. Got home in time for dinner, ate dinner, then took a quick nap after dinner.



DC23 CLOTHING 

Our DC23 clothing will be merging ( sort of ) with another clothing brand next year. Our partners came late night and we had a nice meeting here at our Home Studio. We are excited to launch a handful of new Mecha Designs with the new collaboration.

We needed a partner that could help us deliver the demand of our clients from as simple as shirt sizes, shirt color, material and the request of potential resellers abroad.

2020 will be bigger, better and more fun!


SUPER LATE NIGHT

After the meeting, I thought of resuming my weathering session. Will reveal this quick weathering project tomorrow.

That's it! That's my day. Not too productive today as a huge chunk of my day was spent on groceries with the kids and the traffic. This was still a productive day tho.

Anyways, thanks a ton for dropping by! Until next post guys! Just enjoy the hobby!

Saludos!

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Vallejo Mediums EXPLAINED

This is one of the reasons why I love Vallejos so much. They formulate and design paints depending on use. They also design auxiliary paints ( varnishes, thinners, binders and mediums ) to achieve optimal results. Acrylicos Vallejo has a super wide range of paints from Fine Art and crafts to hobby paints. It almost feel like toy collecting. lol

This blog article is part of my Vallejo Colors EXPLAINED series of posts.

• Vallejo Paints EXPLAINED
• Vallejo Mecha Color EXPLAINED
• Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver EXPLAINED
• Vallejo Mediums EXPLAINED

I saw that Angel Giraldez ( the awesome miniature painter ) uses mediums to thin paints for airbrushing ( in addition to using Vallejo thinner ). But I personally just use mediums for hand painting. To each his own I guess. lol

THE TRIFECTA

The Gloss Medium, Matt Medium and Satin Medium. 

The Gloss Medium I mix with Black paints to hand paint undercoating for Vallejo Metallic paints. It is always best to paint metallics over a nice gloss black finish. I hand paint small pieces ( even bigger pieces like hands ) instead of masking them and airbrushing.

The Satin Medium is perfect for adding to paints when your painting leather and skin. They will give any Vallejo paint a nice sheen without looking wet and extremely shiny  ( like the gloss medium ). 

The Matt Medium is perfect for everything else. Note that the Matt Medium is not strong in comparison to the gloss and satin mediums. IMHO, The Matt Medium ( same with the Matt Varnish ) are the best ready mixed Matt auxiliary paints in the market. 

THE CHIPPING MEDIUM

I have a ton of chipping mediums as I have a lot of Vallejo Rust and Weathering Paint Sets ( Paints that came in 6 or 8 paints per box ). Chema Cabrero, Tony Buendia and similar master scale modelers, use this medium a lot.

If you are into weathering and paint chipping effects, this is the only choice. Much like any of the Vallejo Paints, this medium is easy to hand paint. No need to put out your airbrush while hand painting weathering and chipping effects.

THE RETARDER MEDIUM

You can use this if you do not use wet palettes during hand painting. Wet palettes will keep your...errr... paint wet while painting, thus you can blend and mix paints together easily. However, I advice using this Retarder Medium if you like blending and mixing and keeping your paints wet a bit longer, both on a wet palette and on a mixing dish. Just use super small amounts of this. You do not want your paint to dry in a year or two ( just kidding ).

THE CRACKLE MEDIUM

This medium is crazy good albeit tricky to control. It gives you a somewhat ... errr... ruined finish. It will give the paint on top some cracks! Literally... you'll produce cracking paints if you use this. you can airbrush or hand paint this, paint over it... then watch your paint CRACK as it dries and cures. The is crazy stuff.

THE PIGMENT BINDER

The Pigment Binder is not a medium, but acts like a medium. lol

Basically you use this mixed with pigments. I will have to produce a video and upload on my Youtube channel to show the effects and how to use this medium well. This is great stuff if use properly.

THE METAL MEDIUM

This is a beautiful medium. It is a gloss medium with shiny micro particles. Unlike using normal gloss medium, this metal medium actually enhances the sheen and shine of Vallejo metallics. This is awesome stuff! I highly recommend this for any Mecha / Gunpla modeler who hand paints metallics! And yes... Vallejo Metallics, much more the Vallejo Metal Color line have their own Varnish! 

CONCLUSION

Serious modelers, and definitely professional modelers should get all of these. However, hobbyists and weekend modelers should be fine with just the TRIFECTA ( Gloss, Satin and Matt Mediums ).

Like I always say, paints ( and tools ) are investments. They are not cheap. Kits are NOT CHEAP too... So always use the best paints and tools for your hobby. You need not buy everything in one blow... slowly invest. 

Anyways, thanks as always for dropping by! Until next update guys! 

Just enjoy the hobby! Cheers! 

Read more >>

Painting the GSB FA Gundam RX781 with Vallejo Mecha Colors Part 1

This post is part of the Painting the GSB FA Gundam RX781 with Vallejo Mecha Colors Part 1 at my Youtube channel. 

The first part ( zenithal priming ) of this blog article is HERE. 

I painted the green base color by mixing Vallejo Mecha Color Olive Green and Mecha Color Yellow. 

I wanted to make this base color really bright and vibrant. The Sand primer highlights in the previous post worked like a charm! I want a 200ml Mecha Sand Primer from now on. 

I always thin my primer and paints with Vallejo ab thinner and flow improver. Ratios or how I miss them is better explained in my videos. 

I also gave this base color some highlights of Olive Green mixed with Sand Primer. I added a couple of drops of Off White. I was not happy with the result. Thus I painted a thin coat of yellow to bring back the vibrance of the whole kit. 

The highlighting is a simulation of having a light source at the upper right side of the kit. The underparts of the kit ( like the legs ) are actually still "blackish green". This lighting technique gives this fixed pose resin kit more depth and action. 

Anyways, my apologies for not taking enough photos, as I was focused on the recording of the videos while painting. 

Do check out my video of this painting at my Youtube channel for more info and tips. 

Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next update guys! Just enjoy the hobby! 

Cheers! 

MY PARTNERS

I only paint my Gunpla, Miniatures and Action Figures with Vallejos - Acrylicos Vallejo Website

I only use Harder & Steenbeck airbrush - Harder&Steenbeck Silverline Airbrush

I get my tools only from HobbyMate Singapore - HobbyMate at Facebook

I get my Vallejos and Miniatures only at Neutral Grounds - Neutral Ground PH at Facebook

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